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No, the Democrats won’t retake the House in 2014

The problem: Republicans used the once-a-decade redistricting process to shore up many of their members, leaving Democrats with few ripe GOP targets. Only four Republican incumbents are in seats that tilt toward Democrats — a fraction of the 17 seats Democrats need to net in order to seize the majority.

In fact, there’s reason to believe that the 2014 playing field favors Republicans: There are 15 Democrats representing GOP-leaning districts, so Democrats will need to invest heavily just to maintain their current membership in the House.

The daunting playing field is one of many challenges facing Democrats in 2014. Midterm elections are typically losers for the party in the White House. And outside conservative groups outspent Democratic ones 2 to 1 over the past two election cycles…

The results were apparent in the 2012 elections. The Cook Political Report has calculated that while House Republicans won just 49 percent of the popular vote, they managed to capture 54 percent of House seats. And despite losing the popular vote 51 percent to 47 percent, Mitt Romney won 227 congressional districts to Barack Obama’s 208.

“For Democrats, there are no easy gets,” said Brock McCleary, a former National Republican Congressional Committee deputy executive director.

Blowback

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The Republicans could lose the House if they don’t stand up to Obama and soon. What kills the GOP in midterm elections is when the base gets fed up and stays home(see 2006).

Right now I’m seriously questioning why we even need Boehner as Speaker. If Pelosi was still running the show, how would things be any different? They may have gotten tax hikes on people earning less than 400 grand. We’d possibly be running $1.4 trillion annual deficits instead of 1.1. The debt ceiling would be raised more quickly and by larger figures.

So essentially, we’d be in the same mess we’re currently in, only slightly worse off. But at least the GOP couldn’t be blamed for any of it which might’ve made a huge difference in this past election. The last thing we need is 4-8 years of Hillary after 8 years of Obama. If giving the House back to the Dems in 2014 decreases the likelihood of that, so be it. If we’re gonna let it burn, let’s do so with the Dems in total control of the carnage.

The Rs are the dumbest breed out there and would deserve a Pelosi-with-a-hammer-again.

Schadenfreude on January 17, 2013 at 4:21 PM

True, but we don’t deserve Pelosi-with-a-hammer-again and Obama unfettered in his final 2 years.

As much as we despise the GOP, we CANNOT allow Democrats to take back the House. Having one-half of one branch of government is our restraining order on Obama.

It doesn’t stop all of what he does nor does it mean that we get what we want. It does, however, prevent him and the Demaloons from going full bore Socialist in their final two years of “fundamental transformation.”

All that I want is divided government and gridlock as long as Obama is in office. Since he has no desire whatsoever to deal seriously with the dire fiscal problems that this country has, the best that I can hope for is to stop him from doing as much damage as possible.